Dhanyashree, who was a college student, committed suicide at home in Chikmagalur district, Karnataka, on Saturday. She left a suicide note behind, on the basis of which M.V. Anil, a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, has been arrested by Mudigere police.
The 20-year-old student had written on a WhatsApp group that she likes Muslim and was hounded by Hindutva activists, almost instantly.
Dhanyashree mentioned in her suicide note that she could not bear the harassment by five people, including Anil and the false claims about her involvement with a Muslim boy.
A picture of the girl with a Muslim boy was reportedly being circulated on social media. Regarding which, Annamalai said, “Many have made comments on the picture. We will arrest all those who harassed her orally or through social media. We have taken the case seriously and our teams are working to arrest the accused.”
Chikkamagaluru Superintendent of Police K. Annamalai told the media, “The five had visited her home on Saturday evening and picked up an argument with the girl and her mother. The group had accused that the girl was roaming with a Muslim boy, and thereby, paving the way for ‘Love Jihad’. Upset over the development, she committed suicide.”
While Anil has been arrested and the case was registered against him, the police have reportedly set up two teams to arrest the others as well.
In the police complaint, as reported by Indian Express, Dhanyashree’s mother, Saraswathi Suvarna, said that a Bajrang Dal activist named Santosh was repeatedly harassing her daughter over the phone, asking her why she was wearing a headscarf in some of photos posted on social media and threatening to publicise her “embarrassing pictures.”
Santosh reportedly had asked Suvarna to “control” her daughter.
Such behaviour, reaction and outcome on a simple WhatsApp message is basically making us question every single thing we’ve ever learnt about religion so far. If one talks about God, one must know that he doesn’t NEED your protection. And if one talks about religion then one must know that we live in a free world.
Where is the democracy in such a heinous act? Where is the freedom of speech and expression? Why did an incident like this – the simple proclaiming of brotherhood and community – have to lead to the suicide of a girl?
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